Mrs. Keadle
JH Science
Name__________________________________ period _____
date assigned_____________ date due ______________ date returned _____________
Winged Insect Dichotomous Key
Use the dichotomous key to identify which order each of the following insects are in.
Has 2 pair of wings and a long
prothorax. Can hold front legs in
a “praying” position.
Has 2 pair of armour-like
wings and a regular
length prothorax.
2.________________________
___
1. _________________
Has 2 pair of non-armourlike wings and a regular
length prothorax. The wings
are not similar in size or
shape, do not have hairs
and flap up and down. The
front wings are the same
texture from base to tip. Has
a rounded head with a
simple eye and no pincers
on the abdomen. The body
is oval and flattened.
5._____________________
Has 2 pair of non-armoured,
non-triangular wings that are
not similar in size and
shape. The wings flap up
and down. Wings are the
same from base to tip and
have no hairs. The prothorax
is a normal length, the hind
legs are short, and there are
no pincers on the
abdomen.The eyes are
compound. The body is not
oval and has a constricted
waist
Has 2 pair of triangular
shaped wings that flap
up and down in flight.
insect has a regular
prothorax and a
proboscis.
3.__________________
____
Has 2 pair of wings that
are not triangular or
armour like and flap up
and down in flight. Head
is not elongated and
abdomen has 2 pincers
at the end.
4.__________________
_
Has 2 pair of non-triangular shaped
wings and a normal length prothorax.
Wings are not armour-like and flap
up and down in flight and are similar
in size and shape. There are no
pincers. Eyes take up most of the
head.
7._________________________
6._____________________
Has 2 pair of triangular shaped wings and a normal
length prothorax. Wings are not armour-like and flap
up and down in flight.. There are “hairs” coming out
of the abdomen.
8.______________________________________
Winged Insect Dichotomous Key
Has 2 pair of non-armoured,
non-triangular shaped wings
that flap up and down. Has a
regular length prothorax and
a non-elongated, flat head.
Wings are not similar in size
and shape. No pincers abd
has a compound eye. Has
long hind legs made for
jumping.
9.____________________
Has 1 pair of wings
10.______________
__
1
Mrs. Keadle
JH Science
Winged Insect Dichotomous Key
1a. insect has 1 pair of wings…………………………………………………….diptera
1b. insect has 2 pair of wings…………………………………………………….2
2a. insect has extremely long prothorax (neck)…………………………………3
2b. insect has a regular length or no prothorax…………………………………4
3a. forelegs come together in a “praying” position……………………………..mantodea
3b. forelegs do not come together in a “praying” position……………………..raphidoptera
4a. wings are armour-like with clear wings underneath……………………….coleoptera
4b. wings are not armour-like…………………………………………………….5
5a. wings twist when insect is flying…………………………………………….strepsiptera
5b. wings flap up and down when in flight………………………………………6
6a. wings are triangular in shape………………………………………………...7
6b. wings are not triangular in shape……………………………………………8
7a. insect lacks a proboscis and has long “hairs” coming from end
of abdomen…………………………………………………………………….ephemeroptera
7b. insect has a proboscis and does not have long abdomen “hairs”……….lepidoptera
8a. head is long (snout-like)……………………………………………………...mecoptera
8b. head is not long………………………………………………………………..9
9a. insect has 2 pincers at the tip of the abdomen…………………………….dermaptera
9b. no pincers at the tip of the abdomen………………………………………..10
10a. all 4 wings are similar in size and shape………………………………….11
10b. all 4 wings are not similar in size or shape……………………………….16
11a. eyes nearly cover the entire head…………………………………………odonata
11b. eyes do not cover the entire head…………………………………………12
12a. all 4 wings are finely veined and are 2x longer than abdomen…………isoptera
12b. all 4 wings are not finely veined or 2x longer than abdomen……………13
13a. all 4 wings are clear with many crisscrossing veins……………………...neuroptera
13b. wings are not clear with crisscrossing veins………………………………14
14a. mouth parts are beak-like and are far back beneath the head………….homoptera
14b. mouth parts not beak-like or far back beneath the head…………………15
15a. fan-like hind wings fold flat under the front wings………………………..plecoptera
15b. hind wings fold roof-like and are wider at the base than the front……..megaloptera
16a. insect has three simple eyes as well as compound eyes………………zorapterans
16b. insect does not have three simple eyes in addition to compact eyes…17
Winged Insect Dichotomous Key
2
Mrs. Keadle
JH Science
17a. insect has long hind legs used for jumping and a flat sided head…..orthoptera
17b. insect does not have long hind legs and has a round head…………18
18a. clear wings that have tiny hairs on them, body has hairs……………trichoptera
18b. wings lack tiny hairs on or around them……………………………….19
19a. front wings are half leathery (base) and half clear (tips)…………….hemiptera
19b. front wings are the same texture from base to tip……………………20
20a. body is oval and flattened……………………………………………….blattodea
20b. body is not oval and flattened………………………………………..…21
21a. insect has a small waist…………………………………………………hymenoptera
21b. insect does not have a small waist…………………………………….embioptera
Winged Insect Dichotomous Key
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